Thursday, January 29, 2009

Good day everyone, Zebee here. Today we have a few guests from the book titled “Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us”. Oh, and Lea Schizas the author is here too.

Hi Lea, Bubba, Giganto...I mean David and Jason. Welcome to the ‘V Zoo’.

(L) Hi Zebee. Thanks for having us all here today.

(B) This is a cool place. I like the Air Walk. I’ve never seen anything like it in a zoo before.

(Z) I know you guys want to wander around the zoo, so I’ll get right to the questions. Bubba, why were you so afraid of David when you first met him?(D)Yeah, I’d like to know the answer to that one myself.

(B) Well, he's a big guy and well, I thought he was going to hurt me. Ended up we became friends.

(Z) Best friends is what I hear. Now, David, what was it like to find such a good friend in Bubba?

(D) He helped with kids who weren't very nice to me. Bubba is a true friend and I love him.

(Z) I know he feels the same way about you too. So,Bubba, did you ever think of changing your name, legally? I mean, since you don’t seem to like it very much.

(B) I would never change my name. Although I don't like it, my parents do so out of respect, I've dealt with it.

(Z) I can understand that. I know lots of animals who don’t like their name but would never think of changing it either.So Jason, why did you feel you had to be mean in order to be cool?

(J) Not sure. I guess I liked feeling 'cool'. I never thought how it hurt anyone else.

(Z) I bet you’re glad that’s behind you now.So, guys, what’s going on out there on the soccer field and at school now?

(B,D,J) We've teamed up and teaching little ones all about sportsmanship. It's cute to see the munchkins run after the ball like it's a magnet.

That’s really great and I bet it’s fun to get to teach the kids about the sport you all love so much. Well, thanks guys, you can wander around now if you want to.

(L) Meet me at the main entrance in an hour. Have fun and behave.

(B,J,D) We always do Lea.

(B) Come on guys, let’s go check out the lion exhibit.

(Z) So, Lea, thanks for bringing the boys by today. My boss Joy wanted me to tell you she’s sorry she couldn’t be here. She also wanted me to share her review of the book with all our readers.

(L) Thanks Zebee. Let’s see what she has to say.

* * * * *

Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us

by Lea Schizas

A great mid grade story about struggles and triumph.

Bubba is new in town, again. His dad moves a lot for work. Right off the bat he bumps (literally) into Giganto, uh David the biggest boy he’s ever seen. They become instant friends. The school bully, Jason, seems to love to give David a hard time and Bubba doesn’t know why.

Soccer tryouts are listed and both Bubba and David sign up, as does Jason who is the team’s star. Can anything bring these boys together as friends? What secrets are David and Jason hiding from Bubba? Will they make the team?

Lea is a skilled storyteller weaving ‘new boy in town’ with the ‘town secret’. The book grips you with the teen struggles that everyone can identify with. There are parental nudges sprinkled throughout but not in a preachy way that would turn off the mid grade reader.

There is a true understanding between the author and her characters. She has an uncanny way of getting into the head of the protagonist and letting you know exactly what he’s thinking and feeling.

This book is a good book for anyone who has struggled with bullies and being the new kid on the block. A great gift for any mid grade student, I highly recommend ‘Bubba and Giganto – Odds Against Us.

* * * * *

(L) Thanks Joy and Zebee. I need to go and round up the boys, we have a few more things to do today before we can head home.

(Z) Oh, before I forget, my boss Joy wanted to let everyone her know that if they want to learn more about “Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us”, pop over to her blog. She’s talking with Lea there too. (Wow! You’re in two places at the same time, cool!)Books Go Beyond Reading http://goingbeyondreading.blogspot.com/

Thanks Shari, Vivian and Nancy for stopping by. I'm glad I got to meet these boys and Lea. BTW they were very well behaved, even when Billy the baby chimp threw things towards them when they walked by.Don't worry, Bindi came over and took her son away to a different part of the exhibit.

Lea, Thanks. I guess boys will be boys and they know how to pull the fur over this Zebra’s eyes. I’m glad you like it here, I’ve grown kinda fond of it myself. As for the review, well, it’s easy to write a good review for a really good book.

Beverly and Beth, thanks for stopping by. We really like visitors here at the ‘V Zoo’.

Cheryl, Glad you came over. Come back anytime. I’d love to show you around.

Blog Archive

How we came to be

We have been gypsies at heart for over 30 years.Since 2006 we've been able to live our dream. The first 7 years we lived on a sailboat and now we live in an RV. Follow along as we share our adventures, and misadventures with you past and present.
Enjoy life, we sure are.